Marguerite Modero, Garwood music teacher, retires at the end of June

After over thirty-five years as a teacher of Music and Theatre Arts at Lincoln School in Garwood, Marguerite Modero will begin her retirement at the conclusion of Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2013 this June. During her tenure in Lincoln School she taught general music for grades Kindergarten through eighth grade, Choir, Band, String Ensemble and Gifted and Talented Performing Arts classes. She also directed twenty-nine of the annual Eighth Grade Musicals, the most recent being “Thoroughly Modern Millie” this past November.

Over the years she served in the capacity of Garwood Teachers’ Association President and as a member of several contract negotiation teams along with other various other offices in the Association. She was also named as Outstanding Educator in the district, as part of the Governor’s Teacher recognition program in 1992.

Mrs. Modero was a recipient of the 2010 Master Music Educator Award from the New Jersey Music Educators Association. She also received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts Education during that same year. She was also selected to the Master Teachers’ Collaborative Program sponsored by the New Jersey Symphony in its inaugural year. Modero has also served for twelve seasons as an evaluator for the PaperMill Theatre’s “Rising Star Awards,” a program promoting and recognizing excellence in theatre education and performance across New Jersey.

As a director of Community Theatre for the past 20 years, she has worked for companies in Cranford, Elizabeth and Kenilworth. She is a co-founder and resident director of Just Off Broadway Productions based in Elizabeth. Along with her son, music teacher and conductor, David Modero and daughter-in-law, choreographer and director, Jensyn Modero, the trio strives to offer the opportunity for a quality stage experience to actors of all ages and experience levels.

Modero’s latest venture has been the merging of actors with cognitive and physical challenges along with community members. The results of last spring’s first production, “Seussical” were so outstanding, that the CAU Players, sponsored by the Elizabeth-based agency, Community Access Unlimited, are now in rehearsal for their second production, “Beauty and the Beast.” The show is slated for June 28, 29 and 30 at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield.

After retirement Mrs. Modero hopes to pursue her goal to become involved in advocacy for arts and performance opportunities in the lives of the developmentally disabled. Her hope is to find avenues that offer first hand experiences for those who are challenged in these areas, so that they may find and use the talents they possess. Her dream is to develop high quality experiences allowing those who participate to feel pride and develop self-awareness.

There are several festivities planned prior to Modero’s retirement from Garwood’s Lincoln School. A dinner will be held at the Westwood on Monday, June 3 in her honor. Likewise there will be a reception held at Lincoln School on Monday, June 10th for all Garwood alumni and well wishers. A “Mr. Holland’s Opus” moment will occur when all former students are asked to join in a group performance of the school song. All participants must RSVP by June 3 at miller3521@comcast.net to participate in this celebration. For further information on the retirement party, please contact, Mrs. Benc at tbenc@garwoodschools.org or call 908-789-0331 by May 24. Information may also be obtained from the Garwood Schools website garwoodschools.org .